Singer fears blood cancer signs hidden behind Covid
SINGING star Lesley Garrett is calling for more awareness about the symptoms of blood cancer – fearing signs are being mistaken for post-covid tiredness.
The soprano, 67, who lost her father to blood cancer 10 years ago, says despite it being the third biggest killer disease in the UK, many people still do not know what to check for.
Lesley was full of praise for medics, and the research funded by charity Blood Cancer UK, for giving her dad treatment at home to allow him a “good quality of life”. But she says people need to know the signs of blood cancer.
She believes a key symptom – fatigue or lethargy – is now often confused with Covid symptoms, which could cause further delays in people seeking attention. She said: “Symptoms, I think, are not
always easy to spot.the main symptom is tiredness, well it certainly was with my dad.
“A lot of people now put that down to Covid, but it can often be the start of leukaemia.
“So we have to be even more vigilant than we were before.
“With other cancers we check ourselves. But nobody routinely says, ‘Can I have a blood test?’
“Most people can’t even name a symptom of blood cancer.”
Helen Rowntree, from Blood Cancer UK, said: “For every person with blood cancer to have the best chance of survival, we need everyone to be diagnosed
as quickly as possible.we need to do more to spread awareness of the symptoms. Particularly with the Covid infection rate so high, it’s easy to dismiss symptoms like fatigue, persistent infections or shortness of breath.”
Blood Cancer UK will benefit from donations from the Omaze million pound house draw.
Draw entries for the Omaze Million Pound House Draw, Cornwall, are available now at www.omaze.co.uk.
The draw closes next Sunday for online entries, and August 2 for postal entries.